Future of Lab Animal Med

[Aronsky]

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Hello y'all. I suspect the answer will be some variation of "nobody knows," but I want to ask for people's perspective on the future of the field of Lab Animal Medicine. I am a rising third year and I have been planning on Lab Animal Med (specifically interested in primate medicine) since year 1. I have been shadowing/getting experience with the lab animal vets at my school and have tailored my upcoming clincal rotations and externship plans to support myself being competitive for a residency after I graduate in 2027. But with all of the recent attacks on science (NIH just announced they are ending funding for animal research???) what are the odds I go through residency and end up with no job prospects? I need a reality check.

Thanks everyone

 

[pp9]

@KCgophervet

 

[battie]

Not for nothing, human drugs are currently required to go through multiple steps of animal trials before human trials. So even though animal research is being limited, human research will still require animal models.

 

[JaynaAli]

I agree, as someone in an adjacent field (but not actually in the lab animal field), I suspect that there may be a retraction in the workforce and jobs may become more scarce and thus more competitive, but I can’t see a need going completely away. But idk what that means for prospective students considering the field. But interested to hear from those actually working in the field.

I mean, the good thing is, even if worse came to worst and the field did drastically reduce and things not work out for you as a lab animal vet, at the end of the day, you’re still a veterinarian so hopefully you’d be able to find a job in the field somewhere, even if it’s not your preferred niche. There would be an adjustment period to change focus, but it’s possible and you’ll still have valuable skills either way. But that’s also why I tell pre-vets who are sure they want to pursue a niche specialty to be sure they like/can tolerate other aspects of the field too…just in case.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Hello y'all. I suspect the answer will be some variation of "nobody knows," but I want to ask for people's perspective on the future of the field of Lab Animal Medicine. I am a rising third year and I have been planning on Lab Animal Med (specifically interested in primate medicine) since year 1. I have been shadowing/getting experience with the lab animal vets at my school and have tailored my upcoming clincal rotations and externship plans to support myself being competitive for a residency after I graduate in 2027. But with all of the recent attacks on science (NIH just announced they are ending funding for animal research???) what are the odds I go through residency and end up with no job prospects? I need a reality check.

Thanks everyone

Sidenote - this is incorrect (don't get me wrong, I loathe what this administration is doing to science but I just wanted to clarify this point, and as far as I know this is something that NIH independently decided to do, and those currently in research please correct me if I am wrong)

The exact statement is "NIH will no longer seek proposals exclusively for animal models". That means if you submit a grant for a study that uses an animal model and absolutely nothing else, i.e. no supporting in vitro, no computational, no human application, nothing, that will not be funded.

Which I'm actually kind of okay with because all animal models have limitations (speaking as someone who worked for years with animal models of IBD, which are super frustrating, a poor representation of human IBD, and should not be used as standalone models IMO) and you should absolutely be supporting an animal model with other methods.

 

[KCgophervet]

Sorry for the belated response, been a busy summer! Yes the current state of the field is a little tumultuous at best, but in general the last few years have been seeing the opposite problem with more job openings and residency openings than there are incoming students/vets interested. Now this may start swinging the other way as GP salaries start to stagnate or GP positions get filled up and again, funding for scientific research is in flux, but there will always be a need for lab animal vets so long as any animal research exists, which I don't see going away during my lifetime. Every once in awhile there's a bill proposed to try to end all animal research but so far wiser heads prevail. While animal models are not perfect, and alternatives should definitely be researched and trialed, the fact of the matter is its the best we've got for now.

Happy to chat about all things lab animal in DMs or elsewhere - I run the lab animal medicine (LAM) elective courses at the University of Minnesota vet school and am the externship coordinator for visiting vet students interested in spending some time here to learn about LAM at the UMN. We also have a pretty cool residency program here and I love meeting people interested in the field!